


Visit Again

by The_Golden_Trashcan_TM



Category: Dimension 20, Fantasy High
Genre: don't worry it ends kinda hopeful, it's sad times y'all, or does it?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-14
Updated: 2020-04-14
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:53:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,292
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23655652
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Golden_Trashcan_TM/pseuds/The_Golden_Trashcan_TM
Summary: Fig leaves to Hell to escape the terror of mortality. Riz pays her a visit.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 46





	Visit Again

When Fig left Elmville, she never planned on going back.

The first of her friends to go was Riz. He lived a life of danger and they all knew that one day when he left, he wouldn’t come back. He was in Fallinel working with Adaine to figure out which official had a target on their back. They were together for months, working tirelessly only to realize too late it was Adaine who was in danger.

And Riz, ever noble, gave everything to protect her.

Kristen went a little later in life, but there was still so much she could have done. She led young adventurers on expeditions to wherever their heart desired. She was sought after by every student who wanted to be a hero and every parent who wanted their kid to try something new. She was supposed to have been the safest—the cleric, the healer. She was meant to be safe.

But things go wrong and nothing was more important to her than the safety of the kids. They escaped mostly unharmed, but alone. Tracker tore the forest apart looking for her, only to come back with Kristen’s body. Her face tear stained and body dirt streaked, no one bothered her as she mourned.

After that, it became all too clear that while her friends would age and get hurt and die, she would stay. She would stagnate and watch as everyone but Adaine slowly left her. The revelation sent her into a spiral of fear and panic that even Ayda couldn’t fix.

Fig left at night, kissing Ayda goodbye and disappearing hopefully for good. She wouldn’t bear witness to the deterioration and death of the people she loved most.

And so, she sat on her throne, Baby as her constant companion as the years ticked by. She filled her days, or what constituted as days, with her archdevil duties—constantly keeping herself busy so her mind wouldn’t wander.

She was fine. It would be fine. All fine and she would never have to witness her friends die.

That was the plan.

\---

When Fig got home from witnessing a trial for Vraz the Mean, the only thing she wanted to do was send Baby out to steal something from her and maybe watch the firefalls from her balcony while she smoked. Honestly, she was closer to just crawling into bed and falling asleep. There was nothing more exhausting than Vraz when she didn’t feel like anyone was listening. Which, honestly, was most of the time.

“What can I steal?” Baby grinned, fluttering after her.

Fig shrugged. “Something she won’t realize she needs until she really needs it.”

Baby laughed and flew off out the closing door and Fig shuffled off to the balcony. She expected the usual heat and shouts to greet her when she swung the doors open. Instead, Riz was sitting on the railing, hand resting on the brief case next to him as he took in the sights, a gentle glow surrounding him. For a moment Fig thought she was hallucinating again. There was just no way Riz could be there. He died forty years ago and went to heaven to work with his dad. He had to be an illusion—but who would do that?

His ears twitched and when he turned, Fig knew it was no illusion. He smiled, hair still stuff under his ratty hat, and gun at his side. Her legs moved her before she realized and was hugging him so tight she knew it hurt, but she just couldn’t let go. Tears fell heavy from her eyes as she cried, his arms wrapped around her. He was here! Her friend was here!

“Fig,” he groaned. “Fig, I can’t breathe.”

“Oh!” She let go and he fixed his tie that had gotten crooked. “My bad. I don’t mean to sound rude, but why are you here?”

“I’m on a mission and needed a place to stay for a bit. I didn’t think you’d mind.”

She leaned against the railing, wiping her eyes. “Oh, no, of course not. Make yourself at home for however long you need to be here.”

“Thanks, I—” He paused, looking down and looking back at her, then sighed. “I also came to check on you.”

“Check on me?” she laughed. “What for, I’m doing fine.”

“Now, maybe, but… I can hear when people talk to my grave. It’s something all of us are able to do and when I first died, you were always there. Every week I looked forward to hearing from you. Then it stopped it stopped and I didn’t know why until Gorgug.”

“Him?” she muttered, crossing her arms. “Of everyone, it was him.”

“Fig, he’s just worried. They’re all worried. You just left without telling anyone—”

“I didn’t leave just so I could be lectured by some angel—”

“I’m telling you as your friend!” He hopped off the rail to follow as she started to walk away. “Everyone is worried about you. They spent years looking before realizing you were here and everyone was just too hurt to come after you. Don’t you think Ayda would have—”

“Don’t!” Fig rounded on him, making his feet slide on the smooth floors. Tears were started to well in her eyes again and her glyph burned with angry fire. “Don’t throw Ayda in my face like that, you know… You _know_ how much I love her.” She turned, storming off, Riz rushing to keep up with her again.

“Then why did you leave her? Why did you leave everyone else?”

“Why did _you_ leave!” She stopped again, her voice shaking as she said, “Why did you have to leave us, Riz?”

“What? I-I—”

She had given up and stopping her tears and let them stain her face. “You left the rest of us behind, Riz. Nothing was the same after that and then Kristen died and I realized that I was going to outlive all of my friends and there was nothing I could do to stop it.”

Fig squatted down, wrapping her arms around her knees, head down. Riz gently placed his hand on her back and said, “So, you left before you could see everyone else die. Fig…”

“I know it doesn’t solve the problem and it doesn’t stop them from dying, but if I don’t know then it doesn’t hurt.”

“It has to hurt more to be separated from them now.” He sat down in front of her, crossing his legs. “Every day you’re here is another day you’re missing with them. When they’re gone, you probably won’t be able to see them anymore. That really hit me when I died, but for you they’re still here. Right now, they’re alive and they miss you.”

Her glyph stopped glowing as she calmed down, looking to Riz. He was smiling again, taking off his hat. She would never understand what it was, but he was kinda hot without the hat. She sniffed, shifting into the same cross-legged position. “They hate me.”

“Maybe, but you won’t know that unless you go find out.” He scooted over until he was next to her, laying his head on her arm. “Until you do, I’ll be here. My mission is supposed to last a long time.”

They sat in the hallway as she thought about what he had said. It was true, just not the truth that she wanted. Part of her wanted to ignore it, but there was another part of her, the part that had been aching to see her friends and wife, that wanted to consider it. She sighed and fell back onto the floor.

When Fig left Elmville, she never planned on going back… but maybe it was time to give it a shot.


End file.
